so from what you're saying, i'm now reverting back to the original idea that IP is an additional source of power from physical strength, rather than an extraneous skill/ability. that said, i'm still curious though why IP would work better with people rather than inanimate objects if it is simply an additional source of power as compared to say a specific skill set.

When you talk about it in terms of contact with another person, it is both conditioning and trained skill. With inanimate objects it's more conditioning than skill, more or less...